Flexible expansion joint for structures

ABSTRACT

The present flexible expansion joint and joining member therefore is for structures which tend to move under varying conditions such as changes in temperature which cause expansion and contraction of the structure. To prevent possible damaging changes to the structure, extended portions thereof have one or more elongated openings therein which may be provided by spacing apart sections of the structure, positioning a sheet of flexible joining material in an arc across each opening and fastening a pair of flaps attached to said sheet, to the marginal portions of said structure on opposite sides of each opening.

i 1 1 .111 United Staes atent 1151 3,63,31t Parr et all. 1 Feb. 2, W72

[54] FLEXIBLE EXPANSHON .MMNT FUR 3,272,684 9/1966 Moore ..S2/403 X STRUCTURES 3,300,913 1/ 1967 Patry et al. ...52/403 X 3,355,846 12/1967 Tillson .52/277 X 1 lnvemorsi Russell PM; W Joseph 3,375,621 4/1968 Curtis et al... ...52/277 14 both of (141111818, 3,410,037 11/1968 Empson et a]. ..52/470 11 73 Ass lislTii-e dRbbe Dlisi llC 1 lgnee g3: g gfi u r v 0 Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Sam D. Burke [22] F1led: Jan. 9, 1968 Attorney-Linton & Linton [21] App]. No.: 697,285 [57] STU,

The present flexible expansion joint and joining member [52] 11.8. Cl. ..52/58, SSZZIflfI, therefore is for structures which tend to move under y g [51] In. C d M36 conditions such as changes in temperature which cause expan- [58] Field 403 459 sion and contraction of the structure. To prevent possible 5 damaging changes to the structure, extended portions thereof have one or more elongated openings therein which may be [56] References Cited provided by spacing apart sections of the structure, positioning a sheet of flexible joining material in an arc across each UNITED STATES PATENTS opening and fastening a pairof flaps attached to said sheet, to 2 235 758 3/1941 D b0 52/459 the marginal portions of sand structure on opposite sides of ear rn cache in 2,361,450 10/1944 Black......... ..52/395 pe g 3,093,934 6/1963 Underhill ..52/277 ZClaimsAlDrrawing Figures DESCRIPTION In various types of structures it has been noted that particularly large flat portions of the structures tend to bend and twist due to the expansion and contracting thereof under changes in temperatures which tend to change the shape of the structure and pull the flat portions from their supporting elements.

For example, built-up roofs covering large areas and supported by walls at their edges can pull from said walls weakening the support for the roof due to changes in the temperature of the roof caused by changes in the atmosphere therearound.

For example, built-up roofs covering large areas and supported by walls at their edges can pull from said walls weakening the support for the roof due to changes in the temperature of the roof caused by changes in the atmosphere therearound.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide structures with flexible expansion joints to prevent distortion in such structures and particularly a weatherproof flexible joining member for use in forming such expansion joints which can be quickly and readily attached to structures.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following description of the drawing in which,

FIG. I is a top perspective view of a portion of a flat structure having an expansion joint in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an extruded tube to be used in forming a flexible sheet for said expansion joints.

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of one of said flexible sheets.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a modification of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, A and B designate spaced-apart sections of a flat structure. For example only, A and B represent sections of a built-up roof for a building which roof is supported mainly or only at its edges by building walls (not shown). To provide one or more expansion joints in such a roof, the sections A and B are spaced apart so that their edges C and D, respectively, face one another in a spaced-apart relationship providing an elongated slot extending the length or width of the roof and said roof may have one or more such slots are required.

On the marginal portion of section A alongside the length of edge C there is fastened block E by any suitable means such as nails or the like. Also on the marginal portion of section B alongside the length of edge D there is fastened block F by suitable means. Blocks E and F are shown as of triangular cross sections, but maybe of other shapes or fastened to other parts of sections A and B as, for example, may be rectangular as shown in FIG. 4 at E and F, and fastened directly to edges C and D respectively.

A flexible joining member is generally indicated by reference numeral 1 and consists of a sheet of flexible material having a top face 2 and a bottom face 3. Alongside one entire medial portion 8 of said sheet bottom face there extends a pair of flaps 4 and 6 and integrally and flexibly joined at one edge at and 7, respectively, to sheet I. Said sheet medial portion 8 is slightly thicker from top face 2 to bottom face 3 than the remaining portions la and lb of said sheet and has a series of parallel grooves 10 provided in said medial portion extending longitudinally of the length thereof forming ridges between said grooves. Said groove series are positioned laterally across said medial portion except for plain marginal portions 9 of said medial portion which extend between said groove series and said flap joints 5 and 7.

Flexible joining member 1 can be formed, for example by extruding a dense, highly inert synthetic rubber through a properly shaped die to produce a tube of said synthetic rubber as shown in FIG. 2 which tube includes flaps 4 and 6 and grooves 10 extending longitudinallg of said tube on the interior thereof and then slitting said tu e along a longitudinal line 13 diametrically opposite to the middle of said grooves whereby straight edges 13a and 13b of said sheet are formed when the slit tube is laid flat. A tube 50 feet in length provid ing a sheet of the same length, 2% feet wide and a thickness of one-eighth of an inch, has been found suitable for the present purposes. The length of the sheet can be varied as desired and also the diameter and thickness of the tube and thus the width and thickness of the sheet can be of any dimension desired.

Also sheet I can be of other materials such as butyl (polyisobutylene), neoprene (polychloroprene), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomers), or the like depending on its end use. However, when used out of doors such as on a building roof, a material resistant to outdoor exposure, extreme temperature changes and natural elements as well as being rugged and elastic is preferred.

As an example of one use of the present flexible joining member, reference is made to FIG. I where sheet I is arched between flaps 4 and 6, extended across and between the blocks E and F with flap 4 on top of block E and flap 6 on top of block F. Nails Ill are driven through flap 4 into block E and nails 12 are driven through flap 6 into block F in a spacedapart series along the length of said flaps and blocks. Portions 1a and lb of sheet 1 are laid on the top of roof A and roofing material such as layers G, H and I of felt asphalt roofing can be laid on said roof A up and over the portions in and lb of sheet ll.

Should roof A move, sheet 1 will flex to cover the space between edges D and E of the roof in a weathertight manner at all times.

Grooves l0 permit the ready arching of sheet 1 without cracking while providing a strengthening of the arched medial portion of the sheet.

The present invention is capable of considerable modification and such change thereto has come within the scope of the appended claims is deemed to be a part of the invention.

I claim:

l. A structural flexible expansion joint comprising a structure having spaced-apart sections, blocks attached to said sections alongside the space therebetween, a flexible sheet having a pair of integral flexible flaps depending from a medial por tion of one side thereof, said flexible sheet extending across, between and beyond said blocks with each of said flaps on one of said blocks and means attaching said flaps to their respective block.

2. A method of producing a joining member for structural expansion joints, having dependent flaps consisting in extruding a material in the form of a tube having dependent flaps in the bore thereof on one side of said tube and slitting said tube along the opposite side thereof. 

1. A structural flexible expansion joint comprising a structure having spaced-apart sections, blocks attached to said sections alongside the space therebetween, a flexible sheet having a pair of integral flexible flaps depending from a medial portion of one side thereof, said flexible sheet extending across, between and beyond said blocks with each of said flaps on one of said blocks and means attaching said flaps to tHeir respective block.
 2. A method of producing a joining member for structural expansion joints, having dependent flaps consisting in extruding a material in the form of a tube having dependent flaps in the bore thereof on one side of said tube and slitting said tube along the opposite side thereof. 